Pneumatic separator



Aug. 11,. |925. H. H. WATERMAN PNEUMATIC SEPARATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 20, 1921 n i M m A, W W M k mm1 O M M sw Q w o a., M M, .l u--- ...MHH fumo un E@ ma o e n u U M MM: Q QN M u m4 mw all--- w -v. ,--1 v m. N, .Q MME T Aug. 11, 1925.

H. H. WATERMAN PNEUIVATIC SEPARATOR 1921 `2 shew-sheet 2 Filed Sept 20 'HH/TR Y /z W27 TER NIV/Y @than my Patented Aug. ll, i925.

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Application filed September 20, 1921.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that l, HARRY l-l. WATERMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Strasburg` Junction, in the county of Shenandoah, State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Pneumatic Separator, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improvements in pneumatic separators for use in connection with comminuted material for separating the finer particles thereof from the coarser or heavier materials therein, while the material is in suspension.

In the accompanying drawings l have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention, wherein the process and apparatus are utilized for the purpose of separating hydrated lime after it has been received from the pulverizer, but it will be readily understood thatl the process and apparatus are well adapted for use in the separation of lighter or finer materials from phosphate rock, roofing slag, grains, lime stone screenings and other comminuted material wherein it is desired to separate the dust or liner particles from the coarser material or tailings. Therefore, while l shall hereinafter refer to the invention as embodied in a lime separator, it will be evident that this is only one exenualilication of the process and apparatus for carrying out the principles ofmy invention. And while I have illustrated a specific form of apparatus designed as a lime separator, it will also be understood that this is one example of the combination and arrangement of parts that l may use for the embodiment of my invention, and that changes and alterations maybe made within the scope of my claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

rlhe invention consists essentially in the process and apparatus for agitating` and suspending the comminuted material, and while the material is in suspension, subjecting it to the action of a pneumatic blast for sepa 'ating and carrying olf the lighter or finer particles, and means are provided whereby the material is fed at the discharge end of the receptacle for the finer particles. The source of the pneumatic blast is located at the tail end of the agitator thus Serial No. 501,914.

insuring a proportional increase in the strength of the pneumatic blast in its .action on the material as the heavier particles are agitated and conveyed nearer to the source of the blast. The invention further consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and set forth in my claims.

ln the accompanying drawings l have exemplified a lime separator, wherein:

Figure l is a view in side elevation of the complete embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan View of the apparatus of Fig. 1, showing some of the operating parts in dotted lines.u

Figure 3 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view through the separating drum and its hood, together with the charging` hopper, and other features in connection therewith.

Figure 4 is a sectional Vview at line 4 4 in Fig. 3 through the hood and showing staggered, retaining plates in the intake end of the drum.

Figure 5 is an end View at line 5-5 of Figure?) of the inclined, rotary drum or agitator.

Figure G is a detail sectional view of an air blast regulator or valve used in connection with the blast and exhaust pipes.

in the form of the invention exemplified in the drawings a l ase l of concrete or other suitable material is used for the supporting frame 2, and upon the latter the operating parts of the apparatus are supported. For separating, agitating, and holding` the comminuted material in suspension I may use an inclined, rotary drum 3, which is preferably of metal, cylindrical in shape, open at both ends, and provided with the usual form of annular franges or rings i on its exterior surface. rllhrough t-he instrumentality of the pair of rings or annular flanges the drum is supported at the desired angle on. pairs of flanged rollers or wheels 5, 5, which are also utilized for revolving or rotating the drum. The shafts 6 of these rollers extend longitudinally of the drum and beneath it and the shafts are revolved from the transversely disposed gear shaft 7 by means of the beveled gear jas sets 8, S, as seen in Fig. 2. The gear shalit is operated from the inain drire .shaft 9 located transversely ot the drinn and parallel with the gear shaft, unl the sprocket W ieel 10 on shaft 9, sprocket chain 1 and sprocket Wheel 1Q on shatt T transniit power to the gear shaft for rerolif'ing the drinn.

A main driving Wheel or pulley is indicated at 13 on the shaft 9 and power inay be applied thereto from a suitable source (not shown) tor actuating tie seiferal operating parts of the apparatus or plant.

The open end inclined drinn is provided on its interior periphery with longitudinally extending ribs or cleats la, preferably inade up of angle irons and riveted or othe secured to the drinn, for the purpose o. vating and dropping the thereto, and thehe vier irate eventually pass out of the loi. c drinn, at the le'lt in Figure 3. it the upper or intake end of the drurl utilize retaining plates 15 and 16, which are staggered and extend in annular series around the inner surface of the drinn adjacent its end. These plates inay be integral portions of rings secured to the inner surface ci the drinn and the 'flanges of these rings inay be notched, in order to provide the staggered eitect as seen in Fig. 4l, to eectually prevent loss of material as it enters the d'uin, and yet permit passage frein the drinn ot light or line particles or' the niaterial or linie.

The discharge end of the drinn line liine is enclosed by a hood 17, which inay be constructed oic metal and is rigidly supported as in a traine 18, with a circular or annular flange 17 overlapping the discharge end of the drinnV with suilicient space for rotation of the latter therein.

rlhe hydrated liine as it is received trein the hydrator or pulverizer in connninuted forni is introduced to the rotary drinn through the charging hopper 19, which is rigidly supported in the top of the hoolfi 17, passes therethrough and has its delivery spout 19 terminating just "ithin the inner series of retaining plates 16 and near tl e bottoni of the drinn. rlhe conuni-nited linie is .thus fed to the bottoni of the revolving drinn and as the latter rotates or revolves, the linie is picked up by the longitudinal cleats or ribs 111- and elevated, and as the material approaches the top portion ot the drinn it is gradually dropped from the ribs, falling through the drinn by gravity, and While in suspension is acted on as will be described.

At the bottoni of the hood is located the discharge spout 2O through which the separated and tine liine inay be passed to the bin or other Waiting receptacle, in usual inanner. The separated linie is guided in its movement toward the discharge spout by means of a transversely extending plate or partition 21 Within the hood and diverging from the open end ot the drinn. rlhe guide plate or partition extends a sullicient distance toward the discharge spout to el'ectively guide and direct the line materials thereto, and terminates abore said spout in order to proride an exhaust chainber 2Q in the bach or the hood which chainber is open at the bottoni as indicated.

lWithin the exhaust chaniber are arranged tivo series of inclined baille plates 23 and Q4, which overlap, and are designed to arrest the finest particles et linie and cause thorn to fall into the discharge spout.

rlhe coinininuted linie a'lter being fed to the drinn is agitated by the lilting action ol' the longitudinal ribs as the drinn revolves, and the s iaendcd liine is subjected to the action blast injected through the drinn frein the tial end thereof tor-:ard the upper end, which is both the inlet and outlet end ,for the linie. For the air blast l utilize an injector pipe 25 and injector nozzle 26, the latter centrally located, as indicated in dotted lines, in the open end of the drinn at the lett in Fig. 3.

The air blast is supplied troni the conventionalized fan blower 27, ot' the bottoni horiaontal discharge type, operated by the inain shalt 9, and the blast passing tln'ough the injector pipe is regulated by the blast r "ulator 9,8 in said pipe. rlhe discharge frein the nozzle will be apparent lroin the diverging dotted lines in Fig. 3, and it Will be seen that the pressure troni the nozzle docs not reach the Walls of the drinn, except at the outlet end for the line liine. r hus the ininiinuin pressure of the blast is applied at the point ol inaiiiniuin quantity oli' line linie and this finely connninuted liiie, While in susl'iension, is blown toward the delecting plate 21 in the hood and directed to the outlet or discharge spout 20, and thence transferred to the bin.

is the drinn rei'olves the material or linie lied tiereto is continuously being agitated, elevated, and then dropped in suspension to fall to the bottoni ol: the drinn, and it will also be apparent that the heavier materials will travel by gravitation to the tail end oi the drinn. 'lhus the linie is `fed to the drinn the finest particles and dust are separated by the low pressure blast and passed to the discharge spout from the inlet end of the drinn, While heavier particles which niay resist the low pressure are continually being agitated by the revolving drinn and are gradually passing toward the tail end. As these heavier particles encounter the increasing pressure or the blast the connninuted material which could not be separated by the loiv pressure is noiv separated diie to the increased pressure oit the blast, and when the coarser material that is too heavy to be blown by the maximum pressure of the blast reaches the tail end of the drum, the last of the fine or light particles have been separated therefrom and blown to the discharge spout. ln this manner the lime is continually agitated and continuously subjected to increasing air pressure for thoroughly and effectively separating the light materials therefrom, until the tailings eventually fall out of the tail end of the drum. These tailings may be returned to the pulverizer and again fed to the separator.

The separator is thus supplied with fresh and clean air at all times, drawn from the atmosphere by the blower 27, and the blast or current of air passing through the injector pipe is governed or regulated by the blast regulator 28. A detail drawing of this device is illustrated in Fig. 6, wherein a cylindrical valve member 29 is disposed transversely of the blast pipe, and provided with ports 30 in its walls. The valve member may be turned or revolved in its casing 28 by turning the handle 3l as shown in Fig. 2, thus opening or closing or partially closing the ports, to govern the passage of air currents therethrough.

When the fine particles of finished lime are separated in the drum and directed to the hood, the baliie plates 23, 24 in the exhaust chamber 22 are designed to prevent escape of th-e finer particles with the spent air. However, any finished lime that may remain in suspension in the spent air is recovered from the exhaust chamber by means of an exhauster 32. The exhauster is also actuated by the main shaft 9, and is shown as a top horizontal dischargeJ type of pneumatic fan. The exhauster 32 has a dust collecting pipe 33 attached thereto, and is provided with a vent pipe 34 in said collecting pipe. The strength of the vsuction or induced currents of air passing through the collecting pipe may be regulated by the valve 35 located in the vent pipe 34:, which valve is similar in construction to that illustrated in detail in Fig. 6.

The nozzle or inlet end of the collecting pipe for the spent air is indicated at 36, inside the exhaust chamber 22 of the hood, and it will be apparent that very fine material remaining in suspension may be drawn through the pipe 33, and then be blown through the conveyer pipe 37, which is also provided with a regulator 38, to the collector indicated at 39. The collector 39 may be of any approved type, and is utilized for the purpose of recovering the last degree the finished lime that may pass through the separator.

There are many advantageous features accruing from the above described and illustrated invention including an effective and thorough stripping of the finished material from all of the tailings. This is accomplished by the continuous agitation irnparted to the material, and the subjection of the material to a continuously increasing pressure of air as the lime is fed to the drum and the material passes'toward the tail end of the drum. The use of a direct blast of air through the drum or separating vessel requires the expenditure of less horse power than is usually applied to separators of this type. The desired iineness of the material may be accomplished by the use of the blast regulating valves in the injector pipe, without the necessity for varying the speed of the blower, and the same adjustment may be accomplished in the exhaust or suction device for collecting the lime dust.

The introduction of the air blast at one end of the agitator or separating vessel, and

the introduction of the material to be separated at the opposite end of the vessel or receptacle prevents access of the maximum pressure of the blast to the bull; of the material as it is fed to the agitator and permits a wide distribution of the material within the receptacle in order that the required pressure may be applied to the material for the most effective results. In this manner the material is continuously being picked up and dropped across the air blast and the particles that are not heavy enough to pass through the air currents are blown toward the discharge end of the vessel, thus subjecting the material to an increasing blast as the material nears the tail end of the agitator. The separation is assisted by dropping the material on the metallic bottom of the agitator which tends to relieve the tailings of the finer material which latter is then subjected to the air blast and blown to the discharge.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. The combination with a fixed hood and a feed hopper therein, of an inclined rotary drum, a blower at the tail end of the drum and an outlet for finished material at the opposite end of the drum, a deflecting plate within the hood for finished material and forming an exit chamber for spent air, baflie plates within said chamber for retarding exit of finished material, a dust collector, and an exhaust pipe connecting said collector and hood.

2. The combination with a rotary agitator having closed ends and an outlet for finished material, of a feed hopper at one end of the agitator and a blower at the other end -of the agitator', a dust collector, and an exhaust pipe connecting said agitator and collector.

3. The combination with a rotary drum having a hood closing one end and an outlet for finished material, of a feed hopper in the hood, a blower at one end of the agitator, a deleotng plate Within the hood Closing the ends of the drum, a feed supplv forming an .exhaust Chamber, a baffle plate pipe to said head, a fan blower having its 10 Within the chamber for retarding exit of intake end connected to said head, a disnished material, a dust Collector, and an Charge ypipe for the blower, a dust collector 5 exhaust pipe connecting said Collector and on the discharge pipe, and an air supply exhaust chamber. pipe to said hood.

4. In a Separator the combination Wit-h a rotary agtatng drum, of a hood and a head r HARRY H. WATERMAN. 

